Today, on Saint Valentine’s Day, we are not blessed with candy and roses (yet?), but something better. Sheer, the emotionally spirited indie rock quartet from Simi Valley, CA have decided to drop a new self-released track, titled “Glimpse”. Sean Sakamoto’s laid back guitar riff, complimented by shimmering notes and reverb blasts, are given a very clean treatment on this song. Vincent Amador (bass) and Andy Polito (drums) give “Glimpse” a steady and upbeat rhythm section, as vocalist Gina Almaguer beautifully sings of love and distraction in times of uncertainty. Very relevant to the season and the times. She captures a pop sensibility while remaining on par with the emotional honesty Sheer is known for. A bright release.

I recently connected with Gina and asked her a few questions about the origins of “Glimpse”, and what it was like working with Brad Wood, well known for his work with bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Touche Amore.

Jonathan Velazquez: Can you tell me where and when Glimpse was recorded, and the personnel involved?

Gina Almaguer: It was recorded at Seagrass studios in early September 2018 with Brad Wood and Frederik Fede Brandt Jakobsen, who was studying abroad from Denmark. We had the opportunity to record one song and decided to choose one we had already written for a future release.

JV: What was it like working with Brad Wood? How much of an impact did he have on the band while recording?

GA:It was sick! He’s super cool and obviously knows what he’s doing. It was such a unique experience working with both of them. We were lucky to get more insight as well as far as his thought process while recording. We brought the song almost entirely finished, but Brad has some great suggestions. A memorable one was adding a modular reverb pedal to the bridge which took the song to a whole new level. I couldn’t believe it.

JV: Would you tell me what the song is about? What led you to write it?

GA:Generally speaking, the song is about feeling like you’ve reached the end, being overwhelmed with everything around you and struggling to find the motivation to keep going on. The only thing keeping you grounded is a romantic distraction from that. Having the opportunity to love someone so deeply can be such a beautiful thing, but it can also cause you to forget about facing your own personal issues and healing them. On a personal level, there was some really hard moments for me around the time we wrote the song. I was struggling with my own suicidal thoughts and battling a lot of negative thoughts and energy. It was hard for me to get through each day at times and I am fortunate to have a partner who always encouraged me to push through. Sometimes when we feel helpless, the deep connections we make with others are needed most.

JV: What’s coming up soon for Sheer?

GA:We have a handful of songs written that we are finalizing and plan on releasing new music this year. We have a couple that are recorded, but we’re focusing on the bigger picture right now.

“Glimpse” is available to purchase on Bandcamp, and will later arrive on major streaming platforms. For more information, visit sheer.bandcamp.com